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ICPC Summons Aliko Dangote To Testify In Person Over Corruption Petition
Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote must appear personally to adopt his corruption allegation petition, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has indicated.
The business mogul filed a petition before the agency against former Chief Executive of
Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Alhaji Farouk Ahmed, alleging fraud.
The agency said the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, does not allow proxy representation on criminal matters.
It gave Dangote December 29 deadline to appear before it.
The anti-graft commission conveyed its decision to Dangote’s lawyer, Dr. Ogwu Onoja (SAN), in a December 24 letter.
Onoja had on December 22, gone to the ICPC office to adopt the petition.
But in a letter to Onoja by the Chief of Staff to ICPC Chairman, Rouqayya Ibrahim, the commission said it was necessary for Dangote to come in person.
The letter, which was exclusively obtained by The Nation, reads in part: “The commission acknowledges the appearance of your good self…, wherein you adopted the petition in respect of the allegations made against Engr. Farouk Ahmed on behalf of your client, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
“While the commission appreciates your representation, we are constrained to draw your attention to the fact that the matter under investigation is criminal in nature, being conducted pursuant to the provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
“As you are aware, criminal investigations may culminate in criminal proceedings before a court of competent jurisdiction.
“In such circumstances, the statement and personal adoption of the petition by the complainant may be required to be tendered in court as part of the evidentiary process.
“It is therefore essential, for purposes of procedural integrity and admissibility, that Alhaji Aliko Dangote personally adopts his petition before the commission.
“Accordingly, we respectfully request that you kindly facilitate the appearance of Alhaji Aliko Dangote at the Commission’s Headquarters on 29th December 2025 at 10am, for the purpose of formally adopting his petition. Thank you for your anticipated cooperation.”
Dangote had alleged that Ahmed spent over $7million in public funds on his four children’s education at elite Swiss schools, with fees paid upfront for up to six years.
He alleged: “That Engr Farouk Ahmed spent without evidence of lawful means of income humongous amount of money of over $7million of public funds, for the education of his four children in different schools in Switzerland for a period of six years upfront.”
The Cold War between Dangote and the petroleum regulator had resulted in a N100billion suit.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE filed a N100 billion lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging import licences issued by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and others, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The refinery accused the regulator of granting licences to import refined petroleum products despite domestic production capacity.
It alleged that the action of the regulator violated some sections of the Petroleum Industry Act.
But the suit, FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024, was discontinued in July by Dangote’s lawyers.
ICPC’s petition guidelines say: “Any person anywhere in the world may make a complaint against any other person (corporate or non-corporate) in Nigeria, where reasonable grounds exist for suspecting that such a person has conspired to commit or attempted to commit or has committed an offence under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
News
Panic In Ibadan As Rising Kidnap, Robbery Threats Trigger Official Red Alert
Residents of Ibadan, specifically in Bodija, Agbowo, Akobo, and the Agodi GRA, are currently on high alert after the Police and the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) issued an urgent warning regarding a recent surge in kidnappings and armed robberies in those areas.
According to the DAILY POST, the Bodija Housing Estate Police Division and its community partners have formally expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in the area.
In a statement signed by Bodija Housing Estate Police Division PCRC and Community Policing Unit of the division, they noted that there is an increase in the rate of kidnapping and armed robberies in areas such as Akobo and Bodija.
The statement urged residents to take necessary safety measures amidst rising cases of kidnapping and other criminal activities in areas such as Akobo and Bodija.
In the statement tagged “Urgent Safety Measures Amid Rising Kidnapping and Armed Robbery Incidents in Areas Including Akobo and Bodija” the residents were alerted that the desire for quick wealth has driven some individuals to commit terrible acts.
Part of the statement reads, “In light of the recent increase in criminal activities such as kidnapping and armed robbery across our communities, it has become imperative to issue updated safety guidelines. The desire for quick wealth has driven some individuals to commit terrible acts, and we must all be vigilant.
“Please adhere strictly to the following precautions, and also note the additional measures outlined below:
“Remember: Your safety and that of your loved ones depend greatly on your level of awareness and willingness to take precautionary steps. Security is a collective responsibility.
“Report emergencies promptly to: Oyo State Police Command: control room:08081768614, 08081768574
Bodija Division: DPO +2348052046348; PCRC Helpline/ Chairman – 07068874553”.
JomogNews reports that some residents have been in a panic mood as a result of the notice.
A resident of Bodija Housing Estate, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, explained that the recent happenings necessitated the notice.
“The recent happenings necessitated the move. Yes we have to be careful. People now think twice before they go out. We are more security conscious than before,” he said.
News
Rivers Assembly Formally Serves Impeachment Notice To Gov. Fubara
The Rivers State House of Assembly has formally served an impeachment notice to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu.
The move marks the third major attempt to remove the governor since 2023, following his return to office in September 2025 after a six-month state of emergency.
Recall that the assembly on Thursday during an emergency plenary, commenced the impeachment of the governor and his deputy.
26 members of the House accused the governor of misconduct, capable of undermining democracy in the state.
The notice which was addressed to the governor, contained the signature of at least 19 lawmakers.
The notice also contained about 8 alleged gross misconducts by the governor and his administration.
In a post on its official Facebook page,the assembly said, “The impeachment notice has been successfully served on the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara”.

News
NCC, CBN Set To Roll Out Refund Framework For Failed Airtime And Data Transactions
In line with the consumer-focused objectives of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the two regulators have drawn up a framework to address consumer complaints arising from unsuccessful airtime and data transactions during network downtimes, system glitches, or human input errors.
The framework is the outcome of several months of engagements involving the NCC, the CBN, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Value Added Service (VAS) providers, Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), and other relevant stakeholders. These engagements were prompted by a rising incidence of failed airtime and data purchases, where subscribers were debited without receiving value and experienced delays in resolution.
The Framework represents a unified position by both the telecommunications and financial sectors on addressing such complaints. It identifies and tackles the root causes of failed airtime and data transactions, including instances where bank accounts are debited without successful delivery of services. It also prescribes an enforceable Service Level Agreement (SLA) for MNOs and DMBs, clearly outlining the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder in the transaction and resolution process.
Under the new framework, where a purchaser is debited but fails to receive value for airtime or data—whether the failure occurs at the bank level or with an NCC licensee—the purchaser is entitled to a refund within 30 seconds, except in circumstances where the transaction remains pending, of which the refund can take up to 24 hours.
The framework further mandates operators to notify consumers via SMS of the success or failure of every transaction. It also addresses erroneous recharges to ported lines, incorrect airtime or data purchases, and instances where transactions are made to the wrong phone number.
Speaking on the development, the Director of Consumer Affairs at the NCC, Mrs. Freda Bruce-Bennett disclosed that the framework also establishes a Central Monitoring Dashboard to be jointly hosted by the NCC and the CBN. According to her, the dashboard will enable both regulators to monitor failures, the responsible party, refunds, and track SLA breaches in real time.
“Failed top-ups rank among the top three consumer complaints, and in line with our commitment to addressing these priority issues, we were determined to resolve it within the shortest possible time,” she said.
“We are grateful to all stakeholders—particularly the Central Bank of Nigeria and its leadership—for their tireless commitment to resolving this issue and arriving at this framework, and for ensuring that consumers of telecommunications services receive full value for their purchases.
“So far, pending the approval of management of both regulators on the framework, MNOs and banks have collectively made refunds of over N10 billion to customers for failed transactions.”
Mrs. Bruce-Bennett further noted that implementation of the framework is expected to commence on March 1, 2026, once the two regulators have made final approvals, and technical integration by all MNOs, VAS providers and DMBs is concluded.
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